Support



Nov. 28, 1950 w. R. GUNDERSON 2,532,021

SUPPORT Filed June 13, 1949 I I l l I 1 1 J J l l l l ATTOR N EY Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED- SUPPORT Willard R. Gunderson, Dallas, Tex., assignor to The Frito Company, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application June 13, 1949, Serial No. 98,866

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an article supporting device.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for releasably supporting articles, particularly articles of merchandise, and preferably in an overlapping relation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an. article supporting device which is characterized in its strength and simplicity, and which will firmly secure articles to be supported in a releasable manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a spring clip arrangement for releasably supporting articles of merchandise, such as bags of peanuts, potato chips, fried corn products, etc, for display and merchandising purposes, wherein there is no danger of the clip being dislodged from its intended position, even when the bags are forcibly pulled from the support. Another object of the invention is. to provide a spring clip support arrangement wherein considerable pressure is applied to the gripping jaw of the clip for securely holding articles of merchandise to the support, and yet the gripping portion of the clip may be easily moved away from the support for inserting an article between the clip and support.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the supporting device;

Figure 2 is a front view of the supporting device;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the clip.

While there are many devices in general use today for releasably supporting articles of merchandise for display purposes, I have found that they are usually of flimsy construction and when they are roughly treated or abused, they are apt to fall apart. When articles of merchandise are supported on a stand, bracket or the like, particularly in overlapping relation, by means of a spring clip, it frequently happens that a quick pull or yanking of one article to remove the same from the support will dislodge other articles or displace the clip which held the dislodged article from the main support, thus necessitating replacement of the clip to the main support. It is this problem in the art which this invention solves. The drawings are illustrative of the invention in its simplest form.

In the drawings, reference numeral [0 generaland is preferably formed of metal.

15' indicates the strip which forms a necessary element of the supporting device. The strip is channel-shaped to impart rigidi y to the same and to provide a front wall I l and side walls l2, A plurality of pairs of slits M are formed transversely in the front wall H, and the portion of the front wall positioned between each of the pairs of slits is elevated above the plane or surface of the front wall to form a bridge It, as, particularly seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Positioned above each bridge I6 is an ear 18 which has been punched out of the front wall II for purposes to be described hereinafter.

The spring clip, as shown in perspective in Fig. 5, comprises a body portion 28 and gripping portion 22, the gripping portion 22 being of generally arcuate shape as indicated at 22 3. A tab 26 is cut from the bodymember 2i) and the gripping jaw 22 and secured at its lower end to the jaw 22 at a point adjacent the gripping surface thereof. The tab 26 has an arcuate'bend 23 conforming generally to the shape of the arcuate portion 25 of the gripping jaw 22. It should be noted that the tab 26 is bent upwardly from point 39 to provide a fulcrum on the face of the strip l l and the bridge It (as seen more clearly in Fig. 4), the fulcrum point being adjacent point 36. In forming the tab 26 from the body portion 20 of the clip, a slot 32 is formed.

In assembling the device, the body portion 20 is slid underneath the bridge I6 so that the upper arcuate portion of the ear l8 will enter the slot 32 and contact and engage the upper portion of the body 2!]. As seen particularly in Fig. 3, the dimensions of the clip and the space between the lower edge of the bridge I6 and the upper edge of the ear [8 is such that it becomes necessary, when inserting the clip through the bridge, to force a small portion of the arcuate portion 24 of the gripping jaw 22 under the bridge. In so forcing the parts together, there is no danger of any accidental displacement of the clip relative to the strip and, at the same time, the arcuately shaped spring portion 23 is always maintained under ample tension to insure a good gripping contact between the gripping surface of the jaw 22 and the face I l of the strip IS.

Pressure exerted upon the face of the finger tab 26 to force the sameinwardly toward the strip 1 I will raise the gripping jaw 22 away from the face of the strip H, the fulcrum point of the pivotal action taking place about both the face of the strip and the lower edge of the bridge I6. As the bridge H5 is raised from the face of the strip ll, additional leverage is obtained, thus enabling a relatively strong spring clip to be utilized and, at the same time, insuring ease or operation.

As aforementioned, the ear [8 is raised a sufficient amount from the plane of face I l to insure a positive gripping and locking action with the end of the slot 32 of the body portion 22 of the spring clip. Thus, if an article frictionally supported between the gripping surface of the jaw 22 and the front wall H of the strip was quickly and forcibly pulled therefrom, there could be no danger of dislodging the clip from its intended position.

While the drawings have illustrated only one clip being secured to the strip, it is intended that there will be a plurality of bridges as shown, and that there will be a clip secured to the strip .by the cooperation of the ear, bridge and arcuate shape of the gripping jaw. In use, the strip I i may either be secured to a wall in any suitable manner, or may be mounted on a suitable base so as to stand upright in a display position.

I claim:

,1. In combination, a supporting member; a spring clip; said supporting member comprising a strip, a pair of substantially parallel slits formed transversely in said strip, the portion of said strip lying between said slits being raised to form a bridge on the surface of said strip. an ear formed from said strip and positioned above said bridge; said spring clip having a slotted body portion positioned beneath said bridge and extending above the same with said ear engaging said "slot to secure said clip to said strip, said clip having a gripping jaw positioned below said bridge for releasably supporting an article between said jaw and said strip.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the supporting member is an elongated strip having a plurality of bridges and ears formed therewith to cooperate with a plurality of clips.

3. In combination, a supporting member; a spring clip; said supporting member comprising a strip, a pair of substantially parallel slits formed transversely in said strip, the portion of said strip lying between said slits being raised to form a bridge on the surface of said strip, an ear formed from said strip and positioned above said bridge; said spring clip having a slotted body portion positioned beneath said bridge and extending above the same with said ear engaging said slot to secure said clip to said strip, said clip having a gripping jaw positioned below said bridge for releasably supporting. an article between said jaw and said strip, said gripping jaw and body portion being provided with a cut-out portion attached to the free end of said jaw, said cut-out portion being shaped to contact the surface of said strip below said bridge and to extend upwardly over said bridge and form a finger tab over the bridge for actuating said jaw.

4. In combination, a supporting member; a spring clip; .saidsupporting member comprising a strip, a pair of substantially parallel slits formed transversely in said strip, the portion of said strip lying between said slits being raised to form a bridge on the surface of said strip, an ear formed from said strip and positioned above said bridge; said spring clip having a slotted body portion positioned beneath said bridge and extending above the same with said ear engaging said slot to secure said clip to said strip, said clip having a gripping jaw positioned below said bridge for releasably supporting an article be tween said jaw and said strip, said gripping jaw having an arcuate portion extending between the gripping end thereof and the body portion, said arcuate portion cooperating with said bridge and the surface of said strip to effect a wedging action therebetween to prevent upward movement of said clip relative to said strip.

WILLARD R. GUNDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name .Date Bock 'Dec. 10, 1929 Miller et a1. May 29, 1934 Braley Oct. 22, 1935 Albert Oct. 12, 1937 Marshall Jan. 2, 1940 Number 

